Nero

Nero is one of the main protagonists of Devil May Cry series. He first appeared as a playable character in Devil May Cry 4, and later in Devil May Cry 5. He is the son of Vergil who is raised in Fortuna and serves as a Holy Knight in the Order of the Sword, a religious group that worships Sparda and fights to protect the world from demons.

In Devil May Cry 4, however, he is forced to fight against the Order after encountering Dante and uncovering a conspiracy to conquer the world using The Savior. In its aftermath, he establishes a Fortuna branch of Devil May Cry. In Devil May Cry 5, Nero is a more seasoned demon hunter that has since changed his operation to being a mobile Devil May Cry branch and finds himself fending off a demonic invasion as he chases a mysterious figure that severed the Devil Bringer from his arm which later revealed to be his father Vergil after he and Dante witnessed the merging between V and Urizen as Vergil himself.

Development
The Devil May Cry 4 Material Collection Artbook shows a myriad of sketches and changes over Nero's design. Several concepts of him include Nero in white clothes similar to those worn by the rest of the Order, some which are very aristocratic in appearance, and some that are similar to Vergil, decked in blue. In most of them, Nero has a much slimmer build, and his eyes are a different color, where they are predominantly yellow, in contrast to the color seen in the final version of the game. The artbook also has several images depicting Nero with a full Devil Trigger that has wings, but this design was scrapped in exchange for the spectre-like form seen in the final game.

According to Devil May Cry 4: Deadly Fortune novel, Nero was originally named after a sculptor called Rodan, who created Gates of Hell, a monumental sculptural group depicting scenes from Dante Alighieri's Inferno in high relief. However, because the crew preferred a two-syllable name, and because they were afraid "Rodan" might give too much of an "intellectual" impression, they decided to go for a different name. As stated in the novel, Morihashi Bingo accidentally came up with the name Nero, and it has nothing to do with Nelo Angelo.

In early publicity art, screenshots, and trailers for Devil May Cry 4, Nero's Devil Bringer originally had a golden glow before it was changed to blue; the reason for this change is unknown, however, it is speculated that it was changed to hint and represent that Nero was the son of Vergil by sharing the blue colour.

Before Devil May Cry 5 which canonically confirmed Nero's heritage, Nero was implied to have some sort of relation to Sparda, due to the connection he has with the Yamato, and his alleged place in the Sparda bloodline. Those details were left ambiguous by Capcom in game. The Devil May Cry 4 novel contains hints that Nero is Vergil's son, and this claim has allegedly been confirmed at "Captivate 2009" by one of the Capcom employees who worked on the game's localization.undefined However, it was later confirmed and plainly stated that "Nero is in fact Vergil's son" by the Graphic Arts 3142 art book.undefined

Appearance
Back in his initial appearance, Nero wore a long, dark blue coat with a red inner lining with The Order of the Sword's insignia sewn into both shoulders. The coat has a brown harness. Under the coat he wears a red zip-up hoodie/vest with two zippers under his coat, a black shirt beneath that. On his left writs he has a red wristband held in place with a small brown belt. Nero's legwear consists of a pair of blue pants held up by a belt with a rose buckle. Over his pants, he wears brown thigh straps with a small belts in them. Nero wears brown boots that go half way up his shins.

In addition, he wears two rings on his left hand: one on his index finger that has the emblem of The Order of the Sword on its face and another on his ring finger which bears a rose design, identical to the designs on his belt buckle, coat clasp, and coat buttons. He has white hair brushed down and blue eyes, similar to Dante and Vergil.

In Devil May Cry 5, Nero shortens his hair to a faux-hawk like style, and now wears less gothic clothing and a more casual attire, consisting of a dark blue hooded jacket, a tattered dark crimson shirt and black pants with military-style combat boots. He also has a cybernetic arm in place of his Devil Bringer. However near the end of the game, his cybernetic arm dispersed into a blue light which returned his normal arm before he transforms to his demonic form using the Devil Trigger to stop both his uncle Dante and his father Vergil from killing each other in their duel. In the epilogue, Nero is shown to have his spectral wing-arm manifested when he's in combat, he also uses a prototype power gauntlet made by Nico to substitute his Devil Breaker.

Personality
In contrast with Dante's laid-back and occasionally flirtatious attitude, Nero is a more serious, sardonic and somewhat antisocial person. He is a choleric character whose emotions can get the better of him, especially when his loved ones are involved.

However, he is also like Dante in that he has a rebelious nature: he wields a gun, despite the Order's general prohibition against them; he doesn't really believe in the Order's religion; and cares little for the legend of Sparda. Nero only shows loyalty to his friends, especially to Kyrie and Credo with whom he grew up. Even though he doesn't care for the Order of the Sword's religion, Nero still participates in some of their activities out of respect for Credo and Kyrie. However, his rebellious nature leads to the Order having him work alone on "special jobs." In fact, Nero actually prefers to act as a lone wolf.undefined

Like Dante, Nero is a somewhat arrogant and cocky person. He shares Dante's habit of casually mouthing off to even the most powerful of his enemies, making taunts and sarcastic jokes on the battlefield. Nero also taunts in a similar, sarcastic fashion to Dante: One taunt involves him bowing mockingly and asking, "Shall we dance?"; another has him aiming the Blue Rose at his enemies and saying "Bang!" instead of shooting; and another has him applaud his enemies. Despite that, Nero shows an underlying insecurity about his own ability to protect those he loves, a fear aggravated by his inability to save Credo. Therefore, he takes comments about his own abilities to heart, seen when he holds a resentment of the term 'dead weight' that Dante called him. He eventually comes to terms with his insecurity when he resolves not to let Dante and Vergil kill each other which allows him to tap into his own demonic abilities.

Nero was initially disgusted by his demonic abilities. When he first received the Devil Bringer, he considered it a curse and covered it with a medical sling to hide it out of shame. However, over time he began to train with the Devil Bringer until he finally embraces it as his power.

Nero is one of the few characters in the Devil May Cry series to actually swear and showcased offensive and crude behavior to others. Such instances includes: him calling Agnus a "jackass" and his laboratory a "hellhole". He also almost calls Agnus a "son of a bitch" later, but is cut short. Before fighting Dante, he tells him "Kid? Well, if that's how you see me, I think you'll blush a pretty pink when I kick your ass". Later on, he tells Sanctus "Go blow yourself" and could say "I'm not interested in your bullshit!" when using a Buster in the first battle with the vicar. Lastly, he gives Dante the middle finger before being absorbed by The Savior. In Devil May Cry 5, during the final battle between him and his father Vergil, he says "Fuck you!" while giving him a middle finger during his transformation into his demonic form via Devil Trigger. He further calls Vergil a "Fucking Asshole!".

Kyrie
Nero is very close to Kyrie, having grown up together since they were children. As they grew up, Nero would develop romantic feelings for her. He is very protective of Kyrie and becomes quickly enraged if she is put in harm's way. Nero and Kyrie finally confirmed their feelings for each other at the end of the events of Devil May Cry 4 and have a romantic relationship. In the years leading up to Devil May Cry 5, he lives together with Kyrie and provides for her by working as a devil hunter, but is still protective of her as ever at the expense of his own safety. Nero in turn relies on Kyrie in times of emotional crisis and confides to her when he is in doubt.

Credo
As Kyrie's brother, Nero grew up alongside Credo. As such, he regards Credo as his own family. Their relationship would be strained as they grew older as Nero's rebellious attitude clashed with Credo's absolute loyalty to the Order. Despite that, Nero still considers him as someone close to him and would not want to fight him, seen when he asks Credo to stand down during their confrontation. Even so, Nero still considered Credo as someone important to him and was visibly upset when he was killed. Credo's death would have a lasting impact on Nero and would cause him to hate himself for not having enough power to prevent it. This subconsciously parallels Vergil's frustration of not being able to protect his mother at all.

Dante
Nero's initial encounter with Dante was hostile as he believed Dante was about to harm Kyrie. He regarded the demon hunter as an enemy and fought him with the intent to kill. He would be forced to fight Dante again where the demon hunter revealed he was holding back in their first fight. After Dante showed his intentions to be friendly by letting him keep the Yamato to save Kyrie, Nero would soften up to Dante. This comraderie is reinforced later when Nero is assisted by Dante who helps him defeat the savior. After the savior's death, Nero is given the Yamato by Dante to keep, which Nero takes as a sign of trust.

After the collapse of the Order, Nero would follow in Dante's footsteps and become a demon hunter. He is given a neon sign by Dante to form his own branch of the 'Devil May Cry' business. Nero seems to look up to Dante and considers himself lesser, shown when he considers whether or not he needed to be involved when Dante fought Urizen. It is also why he was angered when Dante calls him "dead weight", since he considered Dante's words to be a reflection of his own abilities and works to prove himself. After he learns that Dante was his uncle and had called him a dead weight in order to spare him the burden of killing his own father, Nero resolves to prevent Dante and Vergil from killing each other by stopping their fight. When Dante and Vergil depart for the Underworld, Dante entrusts Nero with protecting the human world during their absence.

Vergil/V
Nero's relationship with his absent father Vergil was complicated from the start. His first encounter with Vergil was when the latter severed his Devil Bringer arm to retrieve Yamato. The event left a deep resentment in him for Vergil, who he thought to be the demon Urizen. In his quest to kill his father's demon half, Nero unknowingly formed a bond with his father's human half V as they fight through hordes of demons that are in their way. After both V and Urizen merge back into Vergil and he escapes with the Yamato, he was eventually told the truth of his parentage by Dante who tells him to go home as he cannot kill his own father. Nero had conflicted thoughts about the sudden revelation of his newfound family but eventually comes to a decision after he confides in Kyrie to not lose the people close to him and stop both his father and uncle from killing one another. After he stops them in the middle of their battle, Nero faces Vergil as his son and forces the latter to recognize his existence and power by defeating his father in combat. However, the pressing problem of the Qliphoth left him with no time to resolve his issues with Vergil as both Vergil and Dante set off to the Underworld to destroy the tree. However, Nero is left with a book of poetry by Vergil to keep as a promise that his father will return to settle the score between them if not anything else.

Nico
Nero first met Nico when she came to his home asking for Order documents. After she helps fix Red Queen, Nero forms a trust with her and helps her look for her documents. Nico would later join his branch of the 'Devil May Cry' company. Nico acts as Nero's support on his missions, providing him with transportation, resting space, and equipment throughout. Nico's technological and weapon-crafting abilities make her an invaluable asset especially after Nero loses his arm, but her chaotic and mischievous attitude often becomes a source of frustration for Nero. Despite that, the two work well together and Nico is ready to assist Nero if he is in need of her help.

Powers
Due to his demonic heritage, Nero possess great potential of power and amazing combat prowess. Though he was stated by Sanctus to not be in Dante's caliber during the period in which he opposed the Order of the Sword, Nero has proven himself to easily surpass members of the Order of the Sword and several, formidable demons such as Berial and Echidna. He has even defeated Dante when Dante was holding back, with Dante openly acknowledging that Nero was more powerful than most of the many opponents he had faced, although he was beaten when Dante used his full power.undefined Nero achieved his true potential during the events that led a reborn Vergil to battle Dante, Nero's desire to save them both unlocked his true Devil Trigger, allowing him to take the form of a demon and become powerful enough to battle his father and win.

Demonic hybrid physiology: Nero possess both the blood of a demon and human due to his heritage from Vergil. As such, he is granted a far more powerful physiology.undefined


 * Superhuman strength: Nero possess great strength, able to easily block an attack from Berial's large sword using his left hand and the Red Queen. He is also capable of easily overpowering the Scarecrow physically and is capable of stopping of stopping two Bianco Angelo's in the middle of their thrust and throw them aside.undefined He is capable of contending against Dante in battle despite his own extreme strength and wielding his Devil Bringer, can even overpower him, able to easily throw him away.
 * Superhuman speed: He is also remarkably fast, capable of running on Echidna's back faster than the effect of gravity.undefined
 * Accelerated healing: While in Devil Trigger Nero displayed a healing factor capable enough to have given him vitality even after being stabbed by various Bianco Angelos.undefined When Vergil tore off Nero's arm, Nero used Devil Breakers as substitutes. By the time he stopped Vergil and Dante's fighting, his true power had awoken and Nero regenerated his entire human right arm within a matter of seconds.
 * Superhuman endurance: Nero can endure high amounts of physical damage, displaying such endurance when he was ran through by a Bianco Angelo's lance at full speed and survived. He was also able to survive for a short amount of time with a Gladius stabbed into his chest.undefined
 * Devil Bringer: Nero's right arm and the manifestation of his demonic power, the Devil Bringer allows Nero to create a spectral arm capable of being controlled by Nero's movements on his right arm. It is durable enough to withstand punishment from the likes of Rebellion.
 * Artifact absorption: The Devil Bringer can absorb items and use their powers or absorb items into it for storage.undefined
 * Demon power manipulation: Nero has shown the ability to channel his demonic energy into his gun from his Devil Bringer or in the air to perform Charged Shots and Air Hike.undefined. He's also able to convert back his regenerated right arm back into its spectral form so he can fit in Devil Breaker when needed, which Nico joked as "Raw Demonic Power knows a good thing"undefined

Abilites
Combat proficiency: Nero's combat abilities are great enough that the Order sometimes assigns him missions to carry out on his own and he has earned certain respect among his peers. Engineering: Nero upgraded his Red Queen to bypass the limiter placed on the revving feature as well as to spray a flammable accelerant on the blade. He also designed and built Blue Rose himself.
 * Swordmanship: Nero is particularly proficient with a sword, it being his main form of combat. He is skilled enough that he was able to take on Dante in their first fight for a time and even gained the upper hand and disarmed him in their second fight.
 * Unarmed combat: While he hasn't been shown to be particularly adept in unarmed combat, Nero has nevertheless been seen able to skillfully fight unarmed, as shown by how he once managed to easily take on several Scarecrows with only one arm, using punches and kicks while evading and even catching a Scarecrow's leg midswing.

Devil Trigger
After the events in the underground laboratory, Nero acquires Yamato and the ability to use Devil Trigger with it. His Devil Trigger is quite unusual in that it doesn't transform Nero himself: instead, a blue, spectral demon avatar manifests behind him, wielding the Yamato.

This demon has a noticeable resemblance to Vergil's Devil Trigger, mainly because of the "sheath" on its left arm, used for storing Yamato when it is not in use. Nero himself only acquires a blue aura, burning red eyes, and a deeper, echoing voice. The specter usually mimics Nero's movements, doing right-handed versions of Nero's attacks.

After acquiring Devil Trigger Nero gains the ability to fire Summoned Swords, similar to Vergil. He also gains accelerated healing; for example when he was repeatedly impaled in Mission 6 and later healed from the fatal injuries leaving no signs of injury left.

In the events of Devil May Cry 5, Vergil forcibly severed his Devil Bringer which harbored Yamato. He lost the aforementioned abilities as a result. However, due to his desire to stop his father and uncle from killing each other, he involuntarily awakened his own innate Devil Trigger that comes from himself. Nero's own Devil Trigger has currently unexplained abilities, but it is observed to certainly match his father and uncle's, being able to stop and even momentarily subdue them, with Vergil pondering what kind of demonic power his son was wielding.

Instead of a spectral demon avatar, Nero's true devil trigger transform him into a demonic being, with two spectral arms functioning as wings. These arms will do claw attacks whenever Nero do combo in devil trigger form. In this form, Nero can create a sword made out of demonic energy as a replacement for Yamato in his maximum bet combo. Interestingly, Red Queen disappears in blue light whenever he activate devil trigger, although it will reappear when Nero start attacking.

Arsenal

 * Arms (Weaponry)
 * Red Queen: A mechanical blade customized by Nero that has a powerful fuel injection system. When the propellant is sprayed onto the blade, it allows Nero to unleash fiery attacks. It is durable enough to clash with the likes of Devil Arms such as Rebellion.undefined
 * Blue Rose: A product of Nero's own design, this weapon is uniquely constructed revolver with two barrels, allowing two shots to be fired nearly simultaneously. It is also capable of performing Charge Shots from Nero's channeling of demonic energy from his devil bringer. undefined
 * Devil Bringer : Nero's right arm and manifestation of power. He is capable of taking advantage of it's great strength and demonic powers to attack his foes.undefined Since awakening his own demonic power, this arm has been replaced with blue spectral arm which can solidify itself into a normal arm.undefined It is unknown if this arm possess the same ability as the original Devil Bringer.
 * Bringer Claws: After awakening his own demonic power, Nero's devil bringer's function has been replaced by spectral wing-like arms emanating from his shoulder, capable of feats that previously require Nero to absorb demonic artifacts such as "Hold", granted by Aegis Shield and utilizing Grim Grip, which previously required Evil Legacy.undefined
 * Devil Breaker: After the loss of his Devil Bringer, Nero began to use a cybernetic prosthetic that replaced his previous arm and allowed him to perform some of his previous actions. They also enriched his assortment with new moves and techniques.
 * Items inside the Devil Bringer (formerly)
 * Yamato: A legendary blade formerly wielded by Sparda that is said to be able to have the will and power to divide and wipe out the darkness.undefined This blade is capable of unleashing Nero's latent power and Devil Trigger. During the activation of Devil Trigger, the spectral entity that represents his very soul uses it during combat.undefined
 * Aegis Shield: A shield once held by Credo, absorbing its power allowed Nero to perform "Hold" with his Devil Bringer.undefined
 * Evil Legacy: An item which conains the power of an ancient evil and awakens a new powerundefined, this allows Nero to utilize Grim Grips.undefined
 * Anima Mercury: A artificial soul made via alchemy that breathes life into inanimate objects like the Gyro Blades.undefined
 * Rusalka Corpse: Part of a dangling feeler used by Bael that allows Nero to use the "Auto Search" ability.undefined
 * Sephirothic Fruit: One of Echidna's seeds, this fruit of her womb holds the power that binds demonic plants together and allows Nero to wither away demon plants laid by Echidna.undefined
 * Wing Talisman (formerly): A talisman made of crystalized angel wings that stimulate a divine response; Allows Nero to utilize the lifts used by the Order of the Sword.undefined
 * Key of Cronus (formerly): Crafted by concentrated energies, it allows Nero to use the Order of the Sword's chest-shaped Chrono Slicer.undefined

Music

 * Shall Never Surrender (Devil May Cry 4)
 * (Devil May Cry 5)

Deadly Fortune
(Note: The Devil May Cry 4: Deadly Fortune novel depicts the events that happen before, during, and after the events of Devil May Cry 4 with some changes.)

Nero, hinted to be the son of Vergil, was born and shortly thereafter left on the doorstep of an orphanage, while getting the name Nero from the black blanket he was found wrapped in. He would later meet Kyrie and Credo along with their family and together, the three of them grew up in the city of Fortuna. Throughout his childhood, he would be teased by many of the children in Fortuna, who accused him of being a bastard child of a prostitute due to the fact that no one knew who his mother was. He would also grow close to Kyrie and Credo's parents. Throughout his life, he would be taught in swordsmanship by Credo and grew closer to his sister, Kyrie. However, both their parents would soon be killed by demons. Unknown to Nero, they were humans who failed in maintaining their sanity in the Ascension Ceremony. This event would lead him to not believe in God. Eventually, Nero would go on to join the Order of the Sword in spite of his conflicting beliefs due to the fact he idolized Credo and his sense of justice and also for the sake of playing a part in protecting Fortuna, a city that Kyrie held dear.

However, he would gain the dislike of the members of the Order of the Sword due to his lone wolf nature, apparently terrible skills in teamwork, and utilizing guns within the other, which is in contrast to the Order's belief that battles should be fought with only a sword much like how Sparda did when he was alive. However, Nero cared little for their beliefs.

One day, he had rescued Kyrie, who was attacked by demons while walking with orphans in Mitis Forest. During the rescue, his arm was injured. Later on, it would change into what would be known as the Devil Bringer. Nero surmises the reason for this was that he reached a point in life where his arm would be what it is supposed to be due to his apparent demonic nature, much like how that of a caterpillar turns into a butterfly.

During DMC4
While the events of Devil May Cry 4 took place, there are some differences within the novel from the game:

As he was being stabbed by Agnus and was dying, he thought of a dream he had been having recently. He met a man he had never met before, in which he described as having a "cold" glare but with a touch of "gentleness" (or kindness). The man asked "Can you hear it? The cry of a soul" and also asked him what his soul was "saying". However, Nero pushes the question back and asks him the same question, in which he replies with a smile "Power...I want more power." Hearing that, he replied "I'll take that too" and awakens his Devil Trigger, which is the representation of his soul, then reconnected Yamato.undefined

Devil May Cry 4 Refrain
In the iPhone version of the game, Nero becomes a boss character for Dante.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
Nero is mentioned in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. After Dante is defeated by Deadpool, Deadpool says "Next time, maybe you should let Nero do your fightin', skippy."

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale
Nero appears as an unlockable icon in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale. To unlock players must reach Rank 24 and 25 with Dante.

Trivia

 * In the final battle against Sanctus, if you finish him off with the Devil Bringer, Nero will shout "Checkmate!" While in Devil Trigger, he yells "Jackpot!"
 * The word "Nero" is Italian for "Black", but Nero's name is also a reference to the Emperor Nero of Rome. It was widely believed, even at his time, that he was the one who started the Great Fire of Rome, although some historians say otherwise. To deflect the blame, he targeted Christians, ordering some to be thrown to dogs, while others were crucified and burned.
 * Nero was actually born with the Devil Bringer on his right arm. Apparently, his arm changed as a result of his arm being possessed by an evil force.
 * Nero is left handed, as he uses his sword and gun using his left hand. This might have been the case since his Devil Bringer was imbued within his right hand.
 * Nero's first encounters with his family has so far been unfortunately antagonistic. His first meeting with Dante was when he seemingly massacred the Order and threatened Kyrie, and his first time meeting his father Vergil attacked him and severed his arm.
 * While the 3142 Graphics Arts Artbook has confirmed Nero's placement with his relation to Sparda and his family, various other sources released later such as the Capcom 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia seem to still refer to Nero's placement as unknown. Reasons for this have not been revealed as of yet. The existence of DMC5 which openly acknowledges Vergil's paternity over Nero decisively overrules it.
 * Nero is the only playable character who has never been fought as a boss is some way.
 * Dante is a boss in Devil May Cry 4.
 * Lucia is a defective Secretary, which are fought during the Arius boss fight in Devil May Cry 2.
 * Vergil is a boss in Devil May Cry (as Nelo Angelo), Devil May Cry 3, and Devil May Cry 5 (as both Urizen and himself).
 * Trish aids Nightmare in its thrid phase in Devil May Cry, though she has never had a boss fight of her own.
 * Lady is a boss in Devil May Cry 3.
 * V is also not fought directly but all his familiers are fought after he dies in Devil May Cry 5. He is also part of Vergils, so Vergils boss fights in Devil May Cry 5 could also be considered fights agains V.